Need You Now Outtakes
by bellasunderstudy1
Summary: Outtakes from Need You Now
1. Chapter 1

**A/N Evening my darlings! Here's the outtake as promised...it's a bit late for those of us her on the East Coast. I'm posting it on Wednesday as promised just barely. ^_~ **

**Love and thanks to Ladysharkey and Jadsmama for being so wonderful in asking for this conversation. This little outtake had been banging around in my head ever since before Bella and Edward found each other outside the surgical bay the day of Olivia's procedure. I have to shout out to them for also having such kind words about this little outtake. They got to read this early because well it was done for them...mwah! Love ya ladies!**

**To Jessica1971, what is there that I can say...I couldn't do what I do without you. much love bb! **

**Disclaimer: Not mine...but you know that, I'm just playing with these beautiful characters.  
**

* * *

Outtake- Need You Now

A conversation with Esme

EPOV

I smiled, running a hand through my hair as I rounded the corner on my way to the elevators after leaving Bella outside Olivia's room.

I couldn't believe that she truly felt the same way for me. I understood her hesitance and fear of what was going on between us at the moment. Honestly, the intensity of it all scared the shit out of me, but I wasn't willing to allow that to hold me back from something that could be amazing; I knew that it could be….with Bella. I was just happy that it seemed she wasn't going to allow it to hold her back, either.

The things Bella revealed when I first found her outside the surgical holding bay, just after they had taken Olivia away, floored me; when I first saw Bella only days before I would never have imagined that she had such a history.

I mean, I'm not a moron; it was obvious there was something heavy in her past judging by the reactions from Rosalie and Emmett at lunch when Bella ran out on me. I just never would have guessed that she was a widow, or that she had a child, and not just a child but one as ill as Olivia.

Having children wasn't something I had actively thought about in the last ten years. I'm a guy, it's not like our biological clocks start ticking when we hit our mid-thirties. I knew I wanted to have children, I just hadn't really thought about being a father.

The thing I realized after meeting Olivia was that I couldn't imagine not being around her. She was adorable; she looked like a tiny Bella with blond hair, and the kid was funny. Even after having a procedure earlier in the day her sense of humor was firing on all eight. I hadn't spent any real time with Bella at that point, but I had a feeling that biting wit Olivia had was something she inherited from her mother, as well as her beauty.

I was never more thankful for Mrs. Gertrude and the fact that she had a soft spot for me, because Olivia truly seemed to appreciate the gift I brought. That fact alone gave me a warm feeling in the center of my chest that I couldn't exactly explain. It wasn't as if I hadn't brought small gifts to my patients in the past. I knew it sucked to be in the hospital when you're a kid, but there was something completely different in doing that for Olivia.

I couldn't explain it but there was just some magnetic force between the two of us. When I was in any proximity to her I had to touch her- hold her - as if my body needed hers like it needed oxygen and that gave me more than enough fodder for thought on the way to the parking garage and into my car.

A stupid shit eating grin was plastered to my face all the way to my building as the memory of Bella wrapped in my arms and telling me she felt the same pull floated through my mind. She didn't understand it anymore than I did, but she felt it and she wasn't running from it; for now that simple fact made me ecstatically happy.

I made my way into my building, nodding in greeting to the night-time security guard as I hit the call button for the elevator.

As I took the elevator to my floor, even thoughts of the Spanish Inquisition I was sure to endure from my mother couldn't wipe the smile off my face.

Honestly, I was actually anxious to talk with my mom. Never before had I known my mother to take to someone as quickly as she did with Bella and I wanted to get her opinions on the situation after she spent the morning with both Bella and Olivia.

The smell of something absolutely fabulous greeted me as I opened the door to my apartment, immediately making my mouth water and my stomach rumble in protest of the fact that I hadn't eaten since before my shift began early that morning.

I found my mother standing in my kitchen, plate in one hand, wine glass in the other, and a knowing smirk firmly on her face.

"Hello, darling," she said, smiling as I crossed to press a kiss to her cheek.

"Hi, mom," I said, taking the offered glass of Merlot. "What's all this?" I asked, gesturing to the spread of food she had prepared as I took a sip of wine.

"This?" she asked, nodding to the plate in her hand. "Oh, nothing. I thought you might be hungry when you finally made it home, so I cooked you a little something."

"A little something, huh?" I smirked, taking the plate and pulling out a bar stool.

"It was nothing," she smiled, taking a seat next to me.

"Hm..." I hummed as I took the first bite and the venison melted in my mouth. "Oh God, Mom, that's delicious."

I wasn't exaggerating for her benefit, although I knew how much she loved to cook, and like any good cook she should be complimented for the meal, it was amazing. I wanted to make sure she knew, as if the 'mm's' and 'ah's' or the fact that I was tucked into my plate like a ravenous wolf weren't enough to tell her I was enjoying the food.

"So…" she trailed off, looking at me over the rim of her glass as she took a sip of her wine while I finished up my dinner.

"So?" I asked, quirking an eyebrow as I took a drink, knowing exactly what she wanted but unwilling to give in that easily at least for the moment.

"Oh, you rat," she huffed, smacking my arm and laughing lightly. "You know good and well what I meant. Now get on with it and tell me how things went when you met Olivia."

I laughed, taking another sip of wine before I did as I was told, like the good son that I am, and spilled my guts.

"Olivia is….." I trailed off, dropping my eyes to the counter as I struggled to put into words how I felt about the beautiful child I had met just a short time before.

There really was no way to describe what I was feeling; I didn't have enough words.

"She's wonderful, isn't she?" she said.

"Yeah," I whispered, the memory of Olivia's face when she asked about my attending her ballet recital flashing through my mind.

I began explaining everything that had happened, from the awkwardness of initially entering Olivia's room to the way she had invited me to her recital, and the talk about where things stood between us, Bella and I, had afterwards. The warm feeling I had as I remembered the way Olivia smiled and laughed with me during the time I spent with her was just as strong now as it was when I sat in that chair at her bedside, even hours later.

I felt the smile spread over my face as I tried to explain what I felt in that room, how connected the three of us seemed to be even after only a short time with one another. I looked up when I felt a hand closing over mine and felt my brow furrow as I saw the concerned expression on my mother's face.

"Darling," she said, her voice full of emotion.

"What?" I asked, confusion coloring my tone.

"Edward," she said, squeezing my hand. "After spending the morning with Bella and then meeting Olivia….They're both such beautiful people," she paused, seeming to try to gather her thoughts. "I'm just concerned."

I sat staring at her for a long moment, stunned, unsure of how to respond. I turned to glare down at the counter, pulling my hand away from hers. I sat up a little straighter on my stool and twirled the wine glass between my thumb and forefinger. I couldn't bring myself to look at my mother as I tried to control the irrational anger I felt suddenly. When I spoke, my voice was much sharper than I intended.

"What do you mean you're concerned?"

"Now Edward," she said, patting my arm to gain my attention, hoping to stop what I'm sure she could see brewing on my face. My mother knew me better than anyone and could always read me like a book. "Don't go getting defensive with me, son. I'm concerned because I want to make sure you've thought this whole situation through thoroughly. That you've looked at all sides before you go jumping into something you're not fully prepared for."

"What?" I said, standing suddenly as I began to pace around the room, my hand was instantly in my hair.

I had to move, I couldn't sit still at that moment. The shock of my mother questioning my jumping into this thing with Bella blind was hitting me square in the chest and making it difficult to breath as I continued to pace.

"What are you even talking about? At dinner last night you were telling me to go after her, that there was simply no other option. Now you're telling me you're concerned I haven't thought this through? What the hell, mom?"

"Edward," she said, her voice sharp in warning at my disrespect.

"Sorry," I said, stopping myself as I suddenly felt like a little boy being reprimanded.

"Listen to me," she said, and I looked to where she still sat at the bar. "I'm very much aware of the fact that you obviously have strong feelings for Bella. It's easy to see how that has happened. She's quite beautiful and I don't mean just physically, though she is truly stunning. There is something very vulnerable underneath that tough exterior she works so hard to portray to the outside world. And my goodness, Edward, there is absolutely no way to do anything but adore that lovely daughter of hers. But, darling, you have to think this through."

"I have thought it through, mom," I said, trying to keep my voice even.

"Have you?" she asked, quirking one perfect eyebrow at me in question. "Have you really?"

"Yes," I said, but suddenly a little less sure than I had been a few moments ago under the scrutiny of her gaze.

I had thought it through, hadn't I? I knew I wanted to pursue a relationship with Bella, I was absolutely positive about doing just that…..wasn't I?

"Well, I would hope that if you're serious about pursuing some type of relationship with Bella that you have thought about all the ramifications of that decision," she said, taking a sip of her wine and looking at me pointedly as she set the glass back down.

"What do you mean by 'ramifications'?" I asked, taking my seat across from her once again and draining my glass.

"You're a doctor, Edward," she sighed. "I know Pulmonology isn't your field, but you understand what Olivia's disease means for her future, for Bella's future, and if you pursue them, because it is_ both_ of them you are committing to, not just Bella. You have to think about what it will mean for your future, as well. Darling, you have to think about that and I just want to make sure that you've looked at that part of this situation.

"Oh my dear, dear boy," she said, standing to cross to me and reaching up to cup my cheek. "You have to know that there are _very_ serious issues involved with having a relationship with Bella. It's not just the fact that whatever occurs between you two is complicated because she's a single mother. She is a single mother who has a child with an extremely serious illness. You're not just starting a romantic relationship with a woman, Edward. That's complicated enough within itself."

She took a breath, releasing it slowly and looking deep into my eyes, framing my face with her tiny hands. "Edward, if you go forward with this…if you and Bella actually take things to that level, you would essentially be stepping into the role of Olivia's father. Are you prepared to be her father, Edward? And even more importantly, are you prepared to lose that child once you've taken on that roll? Because you know with her disease it's not just a fear that haunts every parent, that you will outlive your offspring. For Bella, it's her reality.

"She understands that, even if she doesn't allow it into her conscious thinking on a daily basis. My god, son, if she did she would never be able to function. It's a reality that Bella has accepted as much as any mother can, but, darling, you're coming into this from a completely different place. You have to think about that among others…. Please understand what I'm saying, Edward. I need to know that you're sure, because those two deserve so much more than for you to move forward with this and then realize that you hadn't looked at it from every angle. I don't know that they could take losing someone else after letting them into their lives in that way. It's cruel, Edward, to not make sure. They need you to be absolutely positive of your intentions and to be willing to accept the responsibility of what it means to be the man in their life. I have no doubt you're capable of being exactly what they need, son, but I want you to be sure of what you want and that you know what you're signing up for with pursuing something more with Bella.

"Bella is a very special woman, Edward," my mother said, dropping her hands from my face. "She's been dealt a very difficult hand in life an-"

"I know that," I said, cutting her off, my voice rough and thick. I swallowed the bile rising at the back of my throat as what she said began to sink into my brain.

I closed my eyes and ran a hand through my hair, pulling the ends and taking a deep breath. There was a part of me that wanted to flat out deny what she said, to tell her that I knew all those things and that I was going to continue to see where things went, but for a brief moment I couldn't and it felt like a chunk of ice had hit my stomach, making me nauseous.

I opened my eyes and leveled a look at my mother, trying to keep my voice even as the torrent of emotions washed through me.

"I know Bella is special…..she's just….," I trailed off, shaking my head, trying to find the right words and coming up completely blank for anything even remotely close to being worthy of describing Bella. "You've spent the morning with her…there aren't enough words to describe her or how I feel when I'm around her, Mom."

She nodded as a knowing smile played at the corner of her mouth.

"She's not like anyone I have ever met," I said, clearing my throat. "I've never felt this way, Mom. There's just….I don't know…there's just some pull toward her that I can't ignore. It's like a magnetic force….like gravity. She moves, I move. I'm drawn in and I can't…..honestly, even if I could, I don't want to pull away.

"I know what you're saying" I said, smiling sadly at her and reaching out to take her hand in mine. "And I appreciate what you're trying to do….what you're telling me and why, because you're right, I do need to think about those things, and honestly I have, but I need to think about it more. I know that Olivia's disease makes things difficult for me and Bella to enter into a relationship. I can't even fathom what it must be like to live every day the way Bella does. Knowing that something as simple as a cold could end your child's life… even after just meeting Olivia today, I can't even think about how difficult….." I trailed off as my throat constricted with the mere thought of that beautiful child not being a part of this world any longer.

"I've never wanted anything more than I want to be there for them. I want to be whatever it is they need. I can't imagine _not_ being a part of their lives," I whispered, my voice thick with the intensity of the emotions I felt at that moment. "You have to see that, Mom, please tell me you can see that."

As I looked into my mother's face, I could see the tears shining in her eyes and her chin quivered as she lifted her glass to take a sip of her wine and swallowed thickly. She squeezed my hand tightly in hers and released a heavy sigh.

When she spoke, her voice shook with emotion.

"Oh, darling boy, of course I see that," she said, looking up into my face. "There is a light in your eye when you even mention Bella's name that I have never seen before. I'm sorry, but I felt you might not be looking at the whole picture. After I met Bella today and she told me some of her history, when she talked about her daughter, oh lord, then I met that precious child," she paused, shaking her head, a smile on her face. "I just wanted you to be sure."

"I am," I whispered.

"I know, darling, I know," she said, smiling and wiping the corner of her eye delicately with a single finger.

I knew I was in trouble, though, when she looked up at me and that glint was back in her eye as a mischievous grin began to play on her face. She clasped her hands together in front of her, drawing them into her chest.

"Oh, I can't wait for them to meet your sister. They just must come out to visit for Alice's shower. I really do think that Bella is perfect for you, Edward."

I laughed and wrapped her in a tight embrace. "I'm going to bed, Mom."

She called after me as I made my way up the stairs to my room that she was serious about Bella and Olivia visiting. The woman would have our wedding planned by the time she got on the plane to return to Washington.

I scoffed, shaking my head at the idea, but really unsure whether it was that my mother would probably be doing just that, or the fact that I wasn't completely opposed to the idea.

* * *

**Thanks again to all of you who have shown such incredible love for this story. I truly appreciate it from the very bottom of my heart! **

**Until next time...**

**xoxoxoxoxo**

**bellasunderstudy1**


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: Hello dear hearts! I'm posting this outtake tonight. I had some difficulty getting the next actual chapter of NYN completed but hopefully I'll get it done soon and out to Jessica1971 for beta to post later this week...*crossing fingers*.  
**

**Outside of my thanks for her wonderful work as usual, ****I am sending out early happy birthday wishes to my super beta Jessica1971. Her birthday is tomorrow! Love ya bb! Hope you have a great one!**

**This outtake is from Chapter 21 when Edward and Olivia have their little music session. This is the EPOV from that scene. Hope you all enjoy!  
**

* * *

Need You Now Outtake

EPOV

Singing with an angel….

I held Bella's beautiful body tightly in my arms as she drifted off into a peaceful sleep.

Having her there, in my apartment, in my bed, created a feeling like nothing I had ever experienced. There were just no words to describe the level of elation that ran through me as I watched her face relax in blissful slumber.

Her lips were parted slightly as her chest rose and fell with each breath. The flush on her cheeks from our lovemaking was still evident even in the dim light of my room. I ran my curled fingers over her skin from temple to chin as the color slowly faded.

I couldn't stop the smile on my face when Bella sighed and turned into my touch.

Over the last several weeks I had more than once thought of what it would be like to come home to Bella, to find her waiting for me and to see the smile that I knew she held for only me; the very same smile she had on her face when I walked through the door earlier. It lit up her entire face and made my heart stop every single time.

I swept a lock of hair away and couldn't resist placing my lips along the smooth expanse of her neck revealed to me then, feeling the beat of her heart pulsing just under her supple skin. She truly was perfect in every possible way and there was nowhere I wanted to be more - for the rest of forever - than right where I found myself at that very moment.

I chuckled lightly as I pressed a kiss to the soft spot just below Bella's ear; she released a shuddering breath and her body shivered as I watched the goose bumps erupt on her skin. I would be lying if I didn't admit to the smug feeling that washed over me knowing that I could affect her in such a way even in her sleep.

As long as the prior week had been and as tired as I felt - I literally felt as though I had been hit by a Mack truck and the driver backed up to run over me again - I couldn't seem to shut my mind down.

There was so much swirling through my mind - the trip home, seeing my family again, and meeting Bella's father to name a few. And that's not even mentioning the party my mother and sister planned for Sunday. It really was a ridiculously lavish social affair masquerading as a baby shower.

Kissing Bella's shoulder, I pulled away slowly, trying not to wake her and slipping from the bed. Padding across the room, I pulled open a drawer and grabbed a pair of cotton sleep pants. They weren't exactly my best pair; honestly, I had them since my college days at North Western. They were comfortable.

I shrugged and slipped them on, figuring I wasn't dressing to impress anyone at midnight and the only two people who might see me were sound asleep; regardless, I would be sliding them off as soon as I was crawling back in bed with Bella.

I glanced at the clock and shook my head at the fact that we had to be up in just a few hours for our flight to Seattle.

The kangaroos must have been holding a kickboxing class in my stomach for all the quivering going on at the very thought of meeting Charlie Swan on Saturday.

I mean, after the disaster that was my initial contact with Renee, I didn't hold out high hopes for how things would go with the other parental unit. Granted Renee wound up coming around and we parted on good terms, I was still nervous.

I raked a hand through my hair as I made my way into the kitchen to grab a bottle of water, thinking about how good it felt to come home to Bella. Even on the nights that I went straight to Bella's after my shift, I always came home, alone.

The gnawing desire to have Bella become a permanent fixture within my life was almost overwhelming. Though the thoughts of asking her to take our relationship to the next level had bounced around inside my head for a while, it had never been more apparent how much I truly wanted her in my home than the moment I walked through the door earlier.

Being alone had never bothered me before meeting Bella, I liked my solitude - to a degree - but since meeting her and with the way things had progressed between us, it now bothered me.

Since I stumbled upon the woman lying in my bed at that very moment, my life had been turned upside down in the best way possible. Bella was definitely something special, something much more than I could have ever imagined coming into my life.

I turned my bottle up, draining half as a slow smile spread across my face when the image of her meeting me in the entryway flashed through my mind. That image was quickly followed by one of Olivia's sleeping form. I remembered how my chest constricted at the sight of her, so innocent, so trusting and absolutely the most adorable child I had ever had the pleasure of knowing.

Seeing her there, sleeping on my sofa, and Bella telling me she refused go to bed without seeing me, just did something to my insides.

Even hours later my heart still did a strange twisting flip at the thought of her making that amazing dinner just for me and trying her best to stay up until I got home.

There was just no way for me to describe what that did to my heart. I felt it in my very soul, the little seed of what I could only imagine was what a parent felt for their child. I knew she wasn't mine, but I couldn't stop the feelings of possessiveness that ran through me at the mere thought of the little girl.

Everything I had been told about Mike proved to me beyond a shadow of a doubt that he loved his little girl with all his heart. I took a deep breath and hoped - not for the first time - that wherever he was in the universe, he was okay with me becoming something more than just some random guy to his little girl.

Padding out of the kitchen, I slipped into my office, thinking maybe if I played a little while I could clear my mind enough to get a few hours of sleep.

Placing my bottle on the side table, I sat down on the small sofa in the center of the room, picking up my guitar from the stand.

I strummed lightly over the strings, playing bits and pieces of songs as I smiled thinking about carrying Olivia to her room; the thought of her having a room all her own at my place made my heart swell with an emotion I really couldn't describe.

I hummed a song absently. As I realized what the song was, it struck me funny which song had just happened to pop into my head with the thoughts I had been having about Olivia and Bella, and for that matter Mike.

I really couldn't explain why I had been thinking about Mike so much lately, but there was just something in the way things were progressing with Bella and, well, truthfully, the relationship developing with Olivia, that had me wondering what he would have thought about me.

Though I didn't know the guy and never would, I couldn't help but think about the fact that if he had still been living, my life would have looked a whole hell of a lot different than it did at that moment.

It was obvious, as much as I didn't want nor like to think about it, Bella still loved him, and as strange as it might seem, I never felt jealous over those feelings. I knew from what Bella told me they had a good marriage. They had a child together and that would always be a tie to him for Bella.

I also knew that none of that changed how she felt for me; I knew that though he held a part of her heart - even now - she loved me with everything left in her being. It was in every look, every touch, and every word we shared.

Even when she was annoyed with me, I knew she loved me; I never questioned that, and though I would never have wished for her to suffer the hurt she had with losing Mike, I couldn't help but be thankful for the turns in both our lives that had led us to each other.

Circumstances in both our lives had brought us to that point and I couldn't regret any of it, though it was not something either of us ever wanted to experience again.

Because of my respect for Mike and the fact that from everything I knew about him he loved his family very much, I felt this very strong desire that he be okay with the decisions I made regarding both Bella and Olivia.

I continued to strum over the strings, my head falling back against the sofa, my eyes closing as I lightly picked out a tune, trying to clear my mind but not finding a whole lot of luck in that endeavor.

My eyes flashed open when I heard a noise and looked up to see Olivia standing at the end of the sofa.

"Hey, princess," I said, sitting up and settling the guitar more comfortably in my lap. "You okay? I didn't wake you, did I?" I asked, worried that maybe I was playing a little louder than I realized.

Not being used to other people being in my apartment, I didn't necessarily think about the fact that playing in the middle of the night might have disturbed her.

"No," she said, smiling at me shyly. "I just got up to go to the bathroom and thought I heard music."

"Have a seat," I said, smiling and beginning to strum again, picking back up on the song I had been playing before. "Thank you for dinner, by the way. Your mom told me you did that all by yourself."

"Yeah," Olivia blushed and I chuckled. "Mom showed me how to make it…. I'm glad you liked it."

We sat for a few minutes in comfortable silence as I picked out the final chords of the song I was playing when she had entered the room.

"I really like that song," she said, a small smile on her face.

"Oh yeah?" I smiled, turning to her and quirking an eyebrow. "You know Eric Clapton?"

"Yes," she said, giggling and shaking her head. "Mom plays his stuff a lot."

"Hmph, I thought you only listened to oh… what's his name?" I waved a hand, scrunching up my face in mock concentration. "Justin Bieber?" I teased, looking at her and widening my eyes.

"No, that's not _all_ I listen to," Olivia giggled and stuck her tongue out at me. "I like lots of different stuff. Mostly I just like to mess with mom because she can't stand Justin Bieber."

I laughed and shook my head. For the thousandth time it hit me how much she looked like Bella, especially when she did things like that.

She really was too stinking cute.

It seemed the kid knew a lot about music as I continued to strum through songs, trying to find one she didn't know just by hearing the tune. I wasn't having a lot of luck, much to my dismay.

I smiled, thinking maybe I had come up with one as I began playing the intro to one of my favorite Elvis songs.

"Let's see if you know this one, miss smarty pants," I said, raising my eyebrows and looking at her teasingly.

"Oh my gosh," she laughed, rolling her eyes. "You're going to have to do better than that, Edward. '_In the Ghetto'. _Really?"

I laughed despite myself and stopped playing for a minute, thinking when it came to me she probably had never heard of Stevie Ray Vaughan. I started up with a little _Pride and Joy _and smiled that I might have actually stumped her with that one as I watched her brows furrow as she listened intently to the chords.

The smile fell from my face when she looked up at me and smirked. Seriously? She smirked at me.

"Stevie Ray Vaughan." She looked at me smugly as the smirk grew into a full blown smile.

I stopped playing and gaped at her as she continued to smile. "How the heck did you know that?"

"I told you I listened to other stuff," she shrugged, dropping her eyes to her lap, but I could see the smile still on her face, a slight blush on her cheeks.

Again I thought about her resemblance to her mother and the smile was back on my face.

"Alright," I said, shrugging and readjusting the guitar in my lap. "I guess I'm not going to stump you with my musical repertoire."

Olivia shook her head and giggled, "Nope."

I smiled at her and shook my head, absently strumming over the strings. When a song popped into my head, I had no doubt she would know it because I knew for a fact it was one of Bella's favorites.

She had a thing for David Grohl, as if that were a surprise. It wasn't.

After the thoughts I had been having recently, especially just before Olivia came into the room, the irony of the words didn't escape me as it began flowing from my fingertips and the words slipped from my lips.

My eyes slid closed, images of Bella's beautiful face from all the time we had spent together over the last several weeks flashing behind my lids - the first day I saw her waiting outside the elevators, our first actual date, the first time she told me she loved me. All of it ran through my mind as I moved into the chorus.

_it's times like these you learn to live again_

_it's times like these you learn to give and give again_

_it's times like these you learn to love again _

_it's times like these time and time again._

I embellished a little on the bar before starting the next verse.

My fingers slipped slightly on the strings as a sound like angels from heaven joined my own voice.

I looked over to see Olivia's eyes were closed as she took a deep breath and belted out the words with more power and feeling than I could have ever imagined coming out of someone so tiny, so young.

Bella told me that Olivia had a really powerful voice and how disappointed she was that she could never get her to sing for anyone except her or Rose, and then only when they were playing _Guitar Hero_.

I had to admit, though I believed Bella was being truthful in what she said, there was a part of me that figured it was a lot more parental pride than actual honest to god true assessment of Olivia's voice. But as I sat there playing and listening to this tiny child sing, I was completely stunned.

My eyes burned and I swallowed hard, trying to dislodge the lump which had suddenly formed in my throat as I looked back down at the guitar in my hands, playing through the final chorus and working to keep my voice even as Olivia and I sang together.

Nothing would ever compare to the sensations coursing through my body as the song came to a close. I took a long, deep breath to try to calm myself a little and find words to even come close to describing what I had just experienced. I released the breath slowly through my nose and turned to look at the amazing child who sat beside me.

"Olivia," I choked, my voice tight with the emotions I was feeling at that moment, and cleared my throat before trying to speak again. "You have a beautiful voice. I had no idea you could sing like that."

"Thank you," she nodded, her voice barely above a whisper.

We sat in silence for a few moments as I tried to regain some of my composure, but before I was able to do that, Olivia spoke, breaking the silence surrounding us.

"I don't remember it, but my dad played the guitar," she said, her voice wavering slightly. "My… um… my mom has videos of him singing to her belly before I was born..." she trailed off as she turned back, dropping her head and staring at the floor, taking a deep breath.

"I bet he was very good," I rasped out, the lump lodged in my throat made my voice rough as I turned to look at Olivia.

I cleared my throat, blinking and fighting the burn in my eyes, trying to find some semblance of control over my emotions.

I caught sight of Bella over Olivia's shoulder, standing just outside the room in the darkened hall. Our eyes met and I watched as she swiped at the tears running freely down her cheeks with the back of her hands. My heart clenched at the expression on her face and she released a shuddering breath, biting her lip, obviously trying to hold in the sob I could see fighting for escape from across the room.

"Yeah, he was" Olivia said, nodding her head, still looking at the floor. "You're really good, too," she added hastily, looking up quickly.

I couldn't help but chuckle a little at the expression on her face and the fact that she wanted to reassure me in that moment.

_So much like her mother_… I thought once again.

"I'll do, I guess," I said, shaking my head and clearing my throat again as an idea popped into my head and I looked back to Olivia.

"Would you like for me to show you how to play a couple of chords?"

Her head snapped up and the look on her face was priceless as her mouth fell open and her eyes widened. She nodded and released a shaky breath as I held out the guitar for her to take.

Olivia wrapped her hands around the neck reverently, a hesitant smile playing at the corners of her mouth.

"Okay," I said, scooting a little closer to where she sat. I noticed movement in the hall and looked up to see that Bella had disappeared. For a split second I was torn, should I make sure Bella was okay - because the look on her face when our eyes locked a few minutes before told me she wasn't exactly holding it together - or stay right where I was with Olivia?

Realizing that Bella probably had gone straight back to my room and that I might not get another opportunity like this one with Olivia, I took the moment for what it was and smiled at the beautiful child before me.

The guitar was a little big for her tiny frame, but she managed well enough to get her arms around it and in the correct positions.

"So, this," I said, positioning her fingers in the correct places between the threads, "is the G chord. It's sort of a basic starting chord, kind of like middle C on the piano."

Olivia nodded and her brow furrowed in concentration as she looked down at her fingers, studying the placement of her fingers.

"Here," I said, holding out the pick for her to take. "Take this, hold it between your fore-finger and thumb, then just run it over the strings."

She took the pick and held it as I instructed, smiling up at me nervously.

"Go on," I encouraged, nodding my head toward the guitar. "You can do it, just do what feels right."

Olivia stared at me for a moment before taking a breath and looking down at the instrument in her hands, and then did what felt right.

The wonder and excitement on her face when she looked back up at me as the sound reverberated around the room was not something I would soon forget. I felt my chest tighten and a sensation that I could only describe as the love I felt for her settled right in the center.

Olivia and I ran through a couple more chords and positioning before I looked up at the clock, seeing just how late - or early, depending on how you looked at it - it had become.

"All right, sweet girl," I said, reaching for the guitar. "I think that if I let you stay up any longer and your mom finds out, she'll skin both of us alive. You better get back to bed. We've got a long day ahead of us tomorrow."

Olivia looked disappointed but didn't argue.

"Okay," she said, nodding before standing and making her way toward the door. "Thanks… Good night, Edward."

"My pleasure, princess," I said, placing the guitar back in its stand at the end of the sofa. "Sweet dreams."

Standing, I followed Olivia out of the room, shaking my head at the sensation that she had something more to say but was holding back for some reason.

When I stepped out into the hall, I heard the soft click of Olivia's door and smiled knowing she was safe inside.

I made my way back through the apartment, making sure everything was locked up tight. There was just something about having my girls in the place that made me want to make doubly sure I had secured the door.

I found it near impossible to not check on Olivia before I went back upstairs and I pushed her door open slightly, letting just enough light in so I could see her snuggled under the covers, already sound asleep.

Pulling the door closed gently, I made my way back upstairs to where I knew I would find Bella. I wasn't sure what I would find when I entered my room. I smiled when I opened the door to find Bella on her side facing me, sleeping soundly.

I quickly made my way across the room and slipped beneath the sheets to wrap my arms around Bella, pulling her into me and pressing a kiss to her hair as she stirred.

My breath caught and all I could do was nod as Bella told me that Olivia loved me; it was as if she realized how much I needed to hear those words and she turned to wrap her arms around my shoulders. I buried my face in the crook of her neck, knowing I had never been happier in my entire life.

I let the peace of that knowledge settle over my body and was finally able to find the sleep which had escaped me earlier in the evening.

* * *

**So, hope you enjoyed that little interaction between Edward and Olivia. **

**Thank you to all of you who are reading, whether you're reviewing or not, thanks!**

**Until next time...**

**xoxoxoxoxo**

**bellasunderstudy1  
**


	3. Chapter 3

**Hi dear ones. So here is a little look at what happened the day Jasper had the confrontation with Irina at the party. Hope you enjoy a little look inside Jasper's head and what happened that day. **

**As always thank you more than I can say to Jessica1971 for her amazing beta skills. **

**Happy Holidays everyone. I hope you all have a safe and happy holiday season.  
**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Twilight, SM does, I'm just playing with her characters.  
**

* * *

Need You Now OUTTAKE

Taking out the trash….

Jasper POV

It was a proven fact that I had come to understand implicitly over the years- my wife liked the grandiose. However, that did not quell my shock over the extravaganza she and her mother put on as their idea of what constituted a baby shower. The level of festivities was well beyond anything I could have imagined. I chuckled realizing that, even after all this time, Alice continued to have the ability to surprise me at every turn.

The governor had made an appearance for Christ's sake; his wife was still around somewhere in the melee of people filling my in-laws' lawn. Granted, he and my father-in-law became friends after Carlisle performed surgery on him a few years before, but the fact remained that the governor of the State of Washington actually attended an event in honor of my unborn child. It was a bit overwhelming.

I caught a glimpse of my amazing wife and not for the first time I was struck stupid with what a lucky bastard I was to have that woman at my side. I felt a smile crease my face, watching her laugh at something my brother-in-law's new girlfriend said. I was not shocked by the fact those two had hit it off immediately. My Alice was adamant that Bella would be our sister-in-law sooner rather than later, even before meeting her. Honestly, I had been skeptical, finding it hard to believe that my skittish, gun shy brother-in-law could be so far gone over a woman he had only known a few short months, especially after the disaster that occurred between him and Irina.

Until they had arrived a few days before, I just couldn't wrap my head around what Esme claimed to be the state of Edward's feelings for Bella. I held back on expressing any opinion when Esme returned from Atlanta gushing about how Edward was quite possibly the happiest she had ever seen him. I mean, the man had literally known the woman a matter of days at that time and according to Esme, Edward was already head over heels in love with her. When I found out that Bella was a widow with a very ill child, well, it just seemed impossible to not imagine the worst. I expected Edward to be much more hesitant about starting such a serious relationship, as it was obvious he had already entered into one and couldn't help but feel concerned, afraid he had placed his trust, as well as his heart, in the hands of the wrong woman once again. I have to admit that I was more than a little concerned for the possibility that Bella only saw a gravy train in Edward and wasn't pursuing a relationship with entirely pure motivations.

I was happy to see that I had been completely mistaken in my less than positive sentiments in regards to Bella's true feelings for Edward. It was immediately evident that Bella was a very genuine person; truly, I was stunned by the honest and open adoration she exhibited for Edward. Probably even more than that, I was overwhelmed with the undeniable way in which those feelings were reciprocated in Edward's affections for Bella. It was clear they cared deeply for one another, regardless of the amount of time they had known one another. And Bella's daughter, Olivia, had nothing but stars in her eyes for Edward; it was obvious he was completely and irrevocably in love with that child.

Admittedly, Esme warned both Alice and I about falling in love with that '_dear child_' immediately, claiming it wasn't even something which you had conscious realization of it happening. Within an hour of meeting Olivia, I discovered just how right Esme had been as I was a complete goner for the little girl. Olivia was adorable and quite possibly the funniest kid I had ever had the pleasure of meeting. She definitely had her mother's sense of humor - very dry and witty, especially for a nine year old. Watching Edward with her was something that I could not find words to adequately explain. He loved her, plain and simple.

Alice seemed to have a sixth sense about things, especially when it came to her brother and I usually went along with her; it was just easier than to try to reason with her when she got an idea in her head, keeping any reservations I usually had to myself. As per usual, I had woefully underestimated my wife and mother-in-law's powers of observation regarding the situation of Edward's love life, because it looked as if she had been right with her _'feeling'_ about Edward and Bella, and not for the first time I thanked my lucky stars I didn't have to hear Alice say '_I told you so'_.

There was, however, something that had been bothering me since the night before. I didn't know what or really even how I knew, but something had occurred between Edward and Bella while we were at the lake. Though I had not, before seeing them together, entertained the idea it was even possible for Edward's intentions to be leaning toward making things more permanent between them, having been in their company for only a few hours, I knew without doubt their relationship was heading in the direction of marriage. It was painfully obvious that Edward was all in with their relationship and I got the distinct impression that whatever had happened when they went on their little moonlight stroll had something to do with that very subject. I have to admit it made me worry for not only Edward, but Bella as well.

I shook my head and couldn't stop the small smile from forming as I took a drink from my glass, making my way around the lawn and speaking with our many guests. I knew without doubt exactly what Edward would say if I asked him about my suspicions. He repeatedly accused me of over analyzing every situation and hated it when I, as he so eloquently would put it, '_went all Freudian on his ass_'. Regardless, I knew as soon as they rejoined our little group around the small bonfire something was…off. They didn't say anything, of course. There was no need because it was in their body language. There was just a hint of difference in the air around them. It was in the way Edward touched Bella, the way she looked up at him with an undeniable longing but also a sadness I couldn't explain.

The idea occurred to me that whatever it was could quite possibly be due to the fact Irina would be attending the party. But in reality, that didn't fit, either. Bella didn't strike me as the jealous type. She carried herself as someone much too self assured for that to be an issue. At the same time, I couldn't imagine she was overjoyed with the situation as it stood. No woman was really okay with their significant other and their ex-fiancée, one she had no idea existed previously, being in such close proximity to one another. The situation was complicated by the animosity that still bubbled just under the surface between Irina and our family.

I shook my head at my dumbass brother-in-law's logic, unable to believe he had not spoken to Bella about that part of his history, especially before bringing her home. Even if he wasn't aware that Irina would be at the baby shower, odds were that someone would have either mentioned her or they would run into her at some point while he was home. For a smart man, Edward sometimes didn't use his head at all.

I had to admit I didn't quite understand how Irina was being allowed on the premises. Esme continually surprised me with her graciousness. Carlisle had been concerned about how his family would react to Marcus' request, but felt he had no choice without airing his family's dirty laundry all over again by refusing and making an issue of the situation. He really had found himself in a situation of being between a rock and a hard place. Personally, I tried to steer clear of discussing anything concerning Irina with Alice at all costs. Alice fairly despised the air that Irina breathed.

Grabbing another glass of wine from a passing tray, I noticed Carlisle talking with a few mutual colleagues by the bar on the patio and began to make my way over. I passed a small group of ladies from the country club and smiled, acknowledging them briefly before continuing on my way. A snippet of the ladies conversation drifted to my ears and caught my attention. I smiled as the topic of their discussion registered that they were talking about Bella.

"Oh, yes," one of the ladies snickered. "She's quite beautiful. Edward seems quite smitten with her –"

A loud derisive snort cut the comment off and drew me up short. I turned to see Irina standing within the group. I had not noticed her at first, but now could see her plainly on the outside of the circle of women. I had known Irina professionally for many years, and though I had no altruistically friendly feelings toward the woman in general, she was a good physician; what I saw before me at that moment was a sad example of her former self. As I took in her unsteady stance, her make-up smeared and her dress slightly askew, she didn't look like the woman I had seen only a few months previously consulting on a patient of mine at the hospital. She looked much worse for wear with a half-full wine glass in her hand and an ugly sneer on her too red lips. It seemed the rumors I had heard recently were founded more in truth than I had wanted to believe. Irina was obviously drunk.

"He never wanted children," she said to no one in particular. "That's what he told me…he never wanted children."

I watched as she turned a menacing glare over her shoulder. Following her gaze I saw that she was looking at Olivia and had to swallow the rage that bubbled in my chest. I was shocked by the immediate urge to protect the little girl who I had only met a few days before. Irina turned the glass up, draining the remainder of what was inside before grabbing yet another from a passing tray.

"He pities her," Irina said, returning her attentions to the group of ladies around her. "Edward would never tie himself to someone so obviously needy," she continued, tipping her glass in the direction I knew I had last seen Bella and Alice standing. "He couldn't possibly be serious about someone who's got that type of baggage."

As I watched from a few feet away, it became evident by the pain in her expression, though her words did not reflect the sentiment, everything about her posture screamed deep regret for actions she had no way of rectifying. What I saw, what I could feel radiating from her every pore, was true regret for the choices she made. Though she had caused immeasurable pain within my family, I couldn't help but feel sorry for Irina.

The ladies in the group exchanged knowing looks before one spoke.

"Oh, that's right, dear," she said as she placed a hand on Irina's forearm. "You and Edward were once together, weren't you? I'm sure it's very difficult to see him with another woman today."

"Excuse me, ladies," I smiled at each of the ladies around the circle before meeting Irina's glassy glare head on. "I don't mean to interrupt your conversation, but I wanted to thank you all for attending today and ensure that you were enjoying your afternoon."

The ladies all nodded, tittering their compliments to what a lovely party Alice and Esme had put together.

"Wonderful! Irina?" I said, smiling and holding out my hand. "Do you mind if I speak with you a moment? Privately?"

Irina released a heavy sigh before swallowing a large sampling from her glass and taking the few steps to close the distance between us. I took her elbow just as she stumbled, keeping her from losing her footing completely.

"Careful," I said, laughing lightly and trying to cover her obvious inebriated state as the other women looked on. "The lawn is a little uneven in this area."

As much as I wanted her as far away from my family as possible, there was no reason to bring further attention to the fact that she was falling down drunk.

"What do you want?" Irina hissed, her words slurring slightly.

Ignoring the venom in her voice, I only smiled as I began to lead her toward where I could see Marcus standing with Carlisle and the group I had noticed earlier.

"Just taking a stroll," I said, keeping an even tone. I wasn't interested in saying to her what I truly wanted to say within earshot of some of the biggest gossips in Seattle.

"What are you doing?" she said, trying to remove herself from my grasp.

"I'm taking you to your fiancé," I said, keeping a firm grip on her arm. "I think it's time you go home before you embarrass yourself or Marcus."

"I don't know what you're talking about," she hissed and tried to pull away from my grasp again.

"Yes, you do," I said, redoubling my efforts to get her away from everyone before she had the opportunity to create a scene. It had not escaped my notice that while I listened to the women's conversation, Olivia had made her way over to talk with Edward. From the look of fury on his face when he scooped her up into his arms, I could only guess that she had seen the look Irina had been shooting her a short time before and had questioned Edward.

"That horrible child said something, didn't she?" Irina spat, once again turning her arm, hoping I would release her.

I took a deep breath, trying with everything in me to continue to be a gentleman and get her to the person that should have been watching her more closely.

"Didn't she?" Irina's voice had risen to a higher pitch. She stumbled at that same moment and I stopped to grasp her by both upper arms.

"That child," I said, my voice low so no one but Irina would hear, "has a name. Her name is Olivia and she is none of your concern. I think-"

Irina cut me off as though I wasn't even speaking.

"He doesn't love her, you know?" she slurred. "He can't love her. He still loves me. He told me he would always love me."

I was stunned for a moment as her words sank in and registered within my consciousness.

"Irina," I sighed, completely taken aback by her delusions. "What exactly did you hope to accomplish by attending today? Hmm?"

Irina's eyes widened as she seemed to take in my question through the fog of her consumption. When she didn't respond, I continued.

"Edward is happy. He's found a woman who appreciates the things he has to offer," I said, noticing the tears that were beginning to form in her eyes. "He doesn't love you. You succeeded in destroying any love he might have held for you when you decided that your social status was more important to you than his love by propositioning his father."

Irina's sharp intake of breath and devastated expression should have stopped me from saying anything further, but she had done almost irreparable damage to my family and I would not stand by and allow her to do any more.

"It's taken a long time for Edward and Carlisle to repair the damage you did. Stay away from my family, Irina," I warned, taking her arm as I turned her to begin walking again. "You've done enough."

Carlisle noticed us first and I saw him turn to Marcus, bringing his attention to our approach.

"Irina," Marcus whispered, reaching for her as we joined their little circle. "Darling, what seems to be the trouble?"

Marcus was truly a kind man and several years Irina's senior, which seemed to make him much more tolerant of her childish behavior.

"I don't know," she pouted before turning another glassy eyed glare in my direction. "I was simply talking with some of the ladies from the country club before Jasper manhandled me away."

"She's drunk, Marcus," I said, the pity I had felt for Irina having long since evaporated.

Marcus' eyes widened slightly as he looked from me to Irina. It was obvious that I spoke nothing but the truth in the way Irina leaned heavily into his side.

"I think we should probably be going, Carlisle," Marcus said, slipping an arm firmly around Irina's waist to support her as he began to direct her toward the front of the house. "I apologize for anything she might have said…she's not well. I…I shouldn't have brought her today. I'm sorry."

Before either Carlisle or I could respond, Marcus turned and was gone. I looked at Carlisle and shook my head at the weird turn of events.

"You might want to intercept Edward," I said, remembering the expression on his face earlier. "I have a feeling he's on the warpath in search of Irina."

"What happened?" Carlisle asked, concern obvious in his tone and expression.

I took a moment to fill him in on what I had witnessed, not sure if there was more that had been said or done before I happened by the gaggle of women. Carlisle nodded with a sad look behind his eyes as he set off in search of his son.

Making my way around the lawn, I spotted Esme walking toward me with an expression on her face that I wasn't exactly sure how to interpret.

"What have you been up to Jasper?" she asked with a hint of humor in her tone and I instantly relaxed.

"Just taking out the trash."

* * *

**So there it is...do you have a different perspective on Irina? I hope you enjoyed the outtake.**

**Please visit www(dot)cff(dot)org for information on Cystic Fibrosis. **

**until next time...**

**xoxoxoxoxo**

**bellasunderstudy1  
**


	4. Chapter 4

**Hello dear ones...**

**I hope everyone had a Merry Christmas, and if you don't celebrate Christmas I hope you have had a wonderful, peaceful few days as well as a safe New Year to come. **

**To my wonderfully amazing beta Jessica1971, she got this back super quick and as always she has made my words much more pretty. Thank you darlin'!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own it. SM does.**

* * *

Need You Now Outtake

Olivia's first date…..

BPOV

I had just begun removing the items I had picked up for dinner on the way home when Olivia came through the door in tears. I initially thought something had happened to her or Tony and felt my heart stutter with fear.

It was all I could do to hold back the giggles when I found out the real reason behind the hysterics. Olivia had carried around a crush for Jordan Bryant since freshman year and he had finally approached her at school, asking her to go out with him the following weekend after the game. Jordan was captain of both the baseball and basketball teams, as well as senior class president. As if that wasn't enough, he looked like an Abercrombie & Fitch model. It was easy to see what attracted Olivia to him. Thankfully, he didn't have his father's personality; he was actually a very nice kid.

Jordan's dad, Chandler Bryant, was a prosecutor with the DA's office in Atlanta. I had met him a few times. My general opinion of his personality had not been a positive one. However, Jordan's mother, Abbie, was truly one of the nicest women I had ever met. She was the event coordinator for our local chapter of the CF foundation and we had worked together on several fundraisers over the years. I often wondered why someone as sweet as Abbie would marry such a colossal ass as Chandler Bryant, but I guess you couldn't help who you fell in love with.

Olivia was part of a group of friends, which included Jordan, who had been hanging out together for quite a while at school and after games on Friday nights. They had recently graduated to spending time at the Starbucks just down the street from their school, as well. Up to that point, it had always been as part of a group, but it had not escaped my notice that Olivia mentioned Jordan talking to her more one on one than he had in the past. I had a suspicion about what was going on with that situation. Those suspicions were confirmed when Olivia explained that Jordan said he had been trying to work up the nerve to ask her out as more than a friend for quite a while.

"Olivia," I said once she had calmed, pulling back to frame her face between my palms. "You are growing up so fast."

Olivia rolled her eyes, wiping at her face as she pulled out of my grasp, but a smile curled her lips all the same.

"I love you, you know that?"

"Yeah, I know," she said, dropping her head to stare a hole in the floor. "I love you, too, Mom," she whispered.

"And you know your father loves you, too, right?"

I tilted my head so that I could look into her eyes. She nodded as another tear rolled from the corner of her eye and she wiped it away with her fingertips as I tried to choke back my own tears. My baby was growing up and as difficult as the milestone was for me to handle, I knew that Olivia was, at least on some level, right to be concerned with how Edward would react. Regardless of the rules we had set forth together on the subject, Edward was not going to take this well - at all.

My husband wasn't the most rational person when it came to Olivia; well, truthfully, he was prone to being completely over the top when it came to both me and the children. His tendency to be overprotective had caused more than one argument over the years, but Edward's heart was always in the right place; it was just that his initial reactions left something to be desired more often than not.

"Oh, Mom," Olivia cried, fat tears stuck to her lashes as she looked up to meet my gaze. "You know Daddy is going to have a cow. It doesn't matter that… that I turned seventeen. He's never going to let me go."

Olivia had turned seventeen only a few weeks before; this would be her first real date. The tears streaked down her face as I wrapped her in my arms, letting her get it out before I tried to reason with her. I couldn't help but chuckle quietly to myself because, honestly, even though Olivia was not his child biologically, there were times when her dramatics reminded me of Edward much more than Mike. A pang of sadness tweaked my heart as an image of Mike's smiling face on the day Olivia was born raced through my mind. I smiled through the burning in my own eyes as I held my little girl and a sensation I had not felt in a long time settled over me. It was as if Mike was there beside me in that moment, and I suddenly knew he was okay with how Edward and I were raising our daughter.

Olivia pulled away, wiping at her face and sniffling.

"Listen, baby," I smiled, brushing a hand over her soft curls. "I'll talk to him, okay?"

"Oh, Mom," Olivia breathed, throwing herself into me and wrapping her arms around my neck. "Thank you. Thank you. Thank you."

"All right," I laughed. "Don't get so excited. I'm sure that your dad will want to talk to Jordan before he agrees to let y-"

"But Mom!" Olivia jerked back with wide eyes, shaking her head. "Mom, you guys already know Jordan. You've known his mom forever! And you already told me when I was seventeen I could start dating. It's not fair! I'm seventeen now and he still treats me like a baby!"

"Olivia," I said, giving her a look to let her know she shouldn't push the issue. She huffed, leaning against the counter, crossing her arms over her chest, and clamping her mouth shut. "First of all, your father does not treat you like a baby. He loves you, very much, but he's also very set in his ways about some things. Regardless of the fact that you're seventeen, having Jordan come by to talk with him is most likely the only way he'll agree."

Olivia nodded, mumbling, "I'll call Jordan."

"Well, don't do that just yet," I said, returning to putting away the last of the groceries and starting dinner. "You're going over to sit with the twins tonight for Rose and Emmet, right?"

"Yeah," she said, wiping at a stray tear on her cheek. "I have to be there at six."

"Let me talk to your father first. Maybe I'll try to do that while you're gone." I turned to give her a small smile and she snorted a laugh, nodding her head, knowing that it was probably a good idea to broach the subject with Edward while she was out of the house. "Then you can call Jordan to tell him when to come by, okay?"

"'k," she whispered, turning to leave the room.

"Oh Lord, give me strength," I murmured, shaking my head and knowing that approaching Edward would take all the divine intervention I could get.

~O~

Edward arrived home from the office after what must have been a really trying day, judging by the state of his hair and the strained look on his face.

"Rough day?" I asked as he entered the kitchen and kissed my cheek.

"Yeah, you could say that," Edward snorted as he removed his tie and made his way into the family room where Tony was watching a baseball game.

I could hear Edward asking Tony about basketball practice and noticed the stomping of feet as Olivia came barreling down the stairs. I laughed, knowing she was trying to get out of the house before Edward caught her; she had been a nervous wreck all afternoon. I winced when I heard Edward call out to her as she passed by me on her way to the garage.

"Hey, sweetheart," Edward said as he reentered the kitchen and saw Olivia with a hand on the door. "Not even going to speak to your old man before you leave?"

"Sorry, Daddy," she said, shooting me a look before she smiled, crossing back to where he stood and kissing his cheek. "I'm going to be late."

"Oh yeah," he said, pulling her into a hug. "I forgot you're babysitting tonight."

"Yep, see you guys later," she said as she bolted out the door.

Edward stood looking at the door for a long moment after Olivia left before turning with a raised eyebrow. "She alright?" he asked.

"Yeah, why?" I squeaked and quickly cleared my throat, smiling as Edward's brow furrowed. He finally shrugged, thankfully letting it go before kissing me quickly and making his way out of the room.

About an hour later I made my way out of the kitchen toward Edward's office and knocked softly before opening the door.

"Dinner's ready," I said, poking my head inside and smiling when I saw Edward sitting behind his desk, frowning at the computer screen. I crossed the room and sat down on the corner of his desk, leaning over to kiss the crease between his brows. He smiled up at me but immediately went back to reading whatever was on the screen.

"You know my sister is insane, right?" he grumbled.

"More party plans?" I asked, laughing as whatever he was reading was obviously from Alice. His father was retiring finally and we had been wrapped up in plans for the party over the last several weeks. Edward grunted in response and I couldn't help but smile. "Hey, um… can we talk for a minute?"

"Uh… yeah, sure, baby, whatever you need," he responded distractedly and I smiled. Hoping to use his distraction to my advantage, I thought it might keep him from freaking out when I told him about Olivia's request. That hope went flying out the window with his next words. "Do… uh… can we do it after dinner? I'm starving."

"Oh, um… yeah… yeah, that's fine," I said, standing to leave and feeling much more apprehensive than I had when I entered as Edward went back to frowning at the screen in front of him.

"Hey, Bella." I cringed when Edward called out just as I put my hand on the door knob. Having completely lost my nerve to bring up Olivia dating at that point, I plastered on a smile, praying it looked genuine as I turned to look over my shoulder.

"Hmm?"

"Is everything okay? I mean… uh, is there something we need to talk about now?" he asked, a look of concern on his face.

"No, honey," I said, shaking my head. "Everything's fine. It's nothing that can't wait."

Edward stared at me for a few more seconds before nodding his head with a smile and turning back to finishing his email.

"You about finished?" I asked, still smiling.

"Yep, I'm on my way," he said and I left the room. I released a sigh once outside Edward's study and leaned heavily against the door.

Now we just had to get through dinner.

~O~

"How come Livi was crying earlier?" Tony asked and I choked on the bite of food I had just placed in my mouth.

We had nearly made it completely through dinner without me having a heart attack. I had been jumpy throughout the entire meal and knew it had not escaped Edward's notice, but so far he hadn't said anything. Now with Tony's innocent inquiry, that was all over.

"Olivia was crying?" Edward asked, his brows dropping into a deep scowl as he looked from Tony to me. "Why was she crying?"

"Uh… she… um," I stuttered.

"Bella, what's going on?" he asked, leveling me with an even stare. Edward's eyes darkened as his look of concern deepened into one I recognized as the one he got just before he became really pissed off. I sighed, knowing there was no way to postpone the inevitable any longer. I had only hoped to be able to talk to Edward calmly and had chickened out earlier. Now he would think I had been trying to hide something from him.

Closing my eyes, I took a deep breath before releasing it slowly and opening my eyes to meet his gaze.

"Edward, Olivia's fine," I said, turning to my confused son as he looked back and forth between Edward and me, obviously feeling the tension that was suddenly in the air. "Tony, there's some chocolate ice cream in the freezer if you would like to have some. You can take it to your room; just make sure to bring the dirty dish back, okay?"

"Really?" he said excitedly, hopping up out of his chair with a 'thank you' called over his shoulder as he ran from the room.

Edward sat in his chair watching Tony leave the room before turning his gaze back to mine. I swallowed audibly.

"So, is this what you wanted to talk about earlier?" Edward asked.

"Yes," I said, my voice slightly more than a whisper.

"What happened? Why was Olivia crying?" he asked, concern coloring his tone and covering his expression.

"She was crying because….." I sighed heavily, trying to form the right words, deciding being completely honest was the only course of action. "Jordan Bryant asked Olivia out today and she was afraid to tell you. She didn't think you would let her go and she was upset. I guess that's what Tony overheard. I…" Edward sat there staring at me with an unreadable expression on his face, the concerned one having melted off his face as I spoke. "I'm sorry I didn't tell you earlier, Edward. I wasn't trying to keep it from you. I just-"

I snapped my mouth closed when Edward suddenly stood from his chair, shook his head and began clearing the table. Without saying a word, he walked out of the room, leaving me sitting there stunned.

"Edward," I said quietly as I entered the kitchen where he was putting the dinner dishes in the washer. "Say something… please."

"What do you want me to say, Bella?" he said, not looking up from his task, his voice low and full of gravel with none of its usual smoothness evident. "Something that should have been one of her happiest moments was instead... my daughter is terrified to approach…" he trailed off, shaking his head and tossing yet another dish into the rack angrily.

"Hey," I said, stepping between him and the counter, placing my hands on his chest before sliding them up to frame his face and forcing him to look at me. "Olivia was only afraid to tell you because she loves you so much. She never wants to do anything that might disappoint you and-"

"That's just it, Bella," he said, pulling away and running a hand through his hair as he sighed. "I don't want her to be so freaked out about me freaking out that she doesn't tell us things. I mean… look at you," he gestured to me as he paced around the room. "_You_ were so afraid of how I was going to react to that boy asking Olivia out that you couldn't even tell me what was going on until Tony-" He stopped himself, shaking his head, his eyes sliding closed as he stopped in the center of the room, his hand fisting in his hair as he released a frustrated growl.

"I'm sorry… I don't mean to be such an insufferable ass," he said, opening his eyes with a sad expression on his face. "I just-"

"Edward," I said sharply, cutting him off and closing the distance between us. I curled my hands in the front of his shirt, trying to shake him but not succeeding. "That is completely ridiculous! You are not an insufferable ass. So what if you get a little out of sorts when it comes to me or the children. The fact that you do only proves to me how much you love us, so I don't ever want to hear you say something like that again. Do you understand me? No more."

I stared up into the deep green of his eyes for a long moment before the tell-tale signs of my favorite grin started to form on his lips and he wrapped his arms around my waist.

"Yeah, okay, no more," he said, leaning down to kiss me gently before pulling back only to rest his forehead against mine. "When does the little punk want to take her out?"

"Edward," I laughed, smacking his chest lightly. "He's not a punk and you know it." Edward snorted and kissed my forehead. I rolled my eyes at him playfully before continuing. "They're supposed to go out to dinner next Friday after the basketball game."

"I'll want to talk to him first," he said, his brow furrowed and a serious expression on his face.

I nodded, "I already told Olivia that you probably would. She said she would call Jordan to have him come by if you wanted."

Edward looked at me for a long moment before finally nodding with a sigh of resignation, "Yeah, have her call him. I don't have any surgeries scheduled so I'll be home early tomorrow."

~O~

"Olivia, stop. You're starting to make me nervous," I said, laughing as I watched her pace around the family room. "He's not going to kill him and hide the body in there, for Pete's sake."

"Don't put it past him," Olivia snorted loudly, shaking her head. "They've been in there for an hour, Mom. An hour! What the heck could he be talking to Jordan about for an hour? I mean, really? Geez! Jordan agreed to come over to talk with him, not submit to the Spanish Inquisition," she cried, throwing her arms up in the air as she ranted. "Jordan's going to back out. You know that, right? Because oh my god what guy in his right mind would want to go through all of this just to go out with some girl."

"Stop right there, young lady," I said, standing and grasping her by the upper arms. "Any boy should be willing to go through anything your father could come up with to be able to have the privilege of a date with you. Don't you ever think that you are not worth it, ever. You understand me?"

"But mom," Olivia whined.

"No, I'm serious, Olivia," I said, giving her a level look before wrapping my arms around her shoulders and hugging her to me. "If Jordan were to do that, which he's not going to," I said, quickly tightening my arms as Olivia squeaked, "but if he did, well then he wasn't worth your time to begin with."

At that moment I heard the door to Edward's office open and I released Olivia just as Jordan and Edward entered the room.

My eyes widened as I took in the fact that Jordan did look a little green, but he smiled shyly at Olivia as he crossed to where she stood. Edward wrapped an arm around my waist and pressed a kiss into my hair. I looked up at him, raising an eyebrow in question and smiling as he nodded reassuringly.

"Jordan and I had a really good talk," Edward said, clearing his throat and smiling at me before he turned to Olivia. "If you really want to, Olivia, then you have our permission to go out next weekend."

"Really?" Olivia squealed, her eyes widening as she looked from Edward to Jordan.

I had to bite the side of my jaw to hold in the giggles as I noticed Jordan swallow as his cheeks pinked slightly. He nodded as the pattern in the rug suddenly held an unusual interest for him. I wondered what Edward actually said to the boy behind closed doors.

I didn't even try to hold in the laughter when Olivia bounced across the room and threw herself into Edward's arms, kissing his cheek loudly.

I felt my own chest tighten, watching as Edward coughed and tried to cover up his emotions as Olivia whispered, "Thank you, Daddy."

Olivia walked Jordan out after he gave me a hug and shook Edward's hand, thanking him sincerely. I smiled, knowing I had been right about Jordan; he was a good kid and I felt that he would be good to Olivia if things progressed past the first date.

Once Olivia was upstairs (and I'm sure on Facebook before the door to her room had even closed completely), I made my way into Edward's study where he had retreated while Olivia and Jordan were outside talking.

"So," I said as Edward pushed away from his desk and I slid into his lap. "Things went well, huh?"

"Hmpf," Edward grunted. "I guess… he's an alright kid."

"Edward," I laughed, "he's more than an alright kid. We really couldn't ask for a nicer boy to take Olivia out. You've always liked Jordan."

"Pft, that was before he wanted to take out my daughter," he said seriously, his bottom lip sticking out slightly in a pout.

I couldn't help but laugh at the expression on his face and leaned in for a kiss.

"He's still a nice boy," I whispered, a smile creeping onto my face as I decided to tease him slightly. "I guess it's a good thing that I already had the birds and the bees talk with Olivia though, huh?"

"Oh my god," he groaned. "Don't even… I can't believe you just said that to me."

"I'm sorry… I couldn't help it," I laughed loudly, dropping my head to his shoulder. "You're just too easy to tease. She's a good girl, Edward. We have nothing to worry about. You know that, right?"

Edward remained silent for a moment and I pulled back to look at him, worried that maybe I had gone too far too soon with teasing him about that particular subject as I took in the hard set of his jaw.

"Edward," I said, reaching up to cup his cheek and forcing him to look at me. "You know that, right?"

"Yes," he said through clenched teeth then practically growled. "And even if I didn't, that boy knows better than to take advantage of her, believe me."

"Oh God, Edward," I said, shaking my head. "What did you say? Olivia will be mortified if she finds out you had some kind of sex talk with Jordan. Oh please… please tell me that you didn't do that."

Edward huffed and turned his head away, running his free hand through his hair as his arm tightened around my waist.

"No," he finally said. "I didn't have a sex talk with the boy, but I made it pretty damn clear he was to respect Olivia at all times. That there would be consequences."

"Oh lord, Edward," I groaned but couldn't help but laugh at his antics. "No wonder Jordan looked so green when you two finally came out of this room."

"What?" he said incredulously. "I wanted him to understand that she deserved only the utmost respect and that I would accept nothing less if he wanted to go out with my daughter."

I shook my head and laughed as I wrapped my arms around him, kissing the crook of his neck.

"I love you," I whispered. "You may possibly be a little bit insane, but I love you."

Edward laughed, wrapping both arms around my back and hugging me to him closely.

"I love you, too," he breathed into my hair as he kissed the side of my head. "And I love our children with all my heart."

"I know you do, darling," I sighed, a sense of contentment spreading over me. "I know you do, and they love you just the same."

* * *

**I hope you enjoyed a little over protective Daddyward and another small glimpse at there lives together as a family. **

**Thank you all who have read and reviewed, and those who are reading but haven't reviewed. **

**Until next time...**

**xoxoxoxoxo**

**bellasunderstudy1  
**


	5. Chapter 5

Hello dear ones! This is a missing moment/future take done for the Foxy Fics Parkinson fundraiser.

I've been told that it's a bit of a tear jerker. If you've read the full length story then you might have been expecting that. ^_~!

Disclaimer: I don't own it, you all know that. I'm just playing with these beautiful characters.

* * *

Honoring a fallen hero….

EPOV

I groaned loudly as I settled back in my chair, the leather protesting softly. Screwing my eyes closed, I rubbed the spot between my creased brows. It had been a really long day. Hell, between opening the practice, all the drama that accompanied Tony's entrance into the world, and the holidays that quickly followed, it had been a long six months.

Bella had a difficult time getting back on her feet after Tony's birth but thankfully Rosalie had been more than willing to help out all she could. It was hard on everyone concerned, though Bella most of all. She didn't like having to depend on others and she struggled with not being able to bounce right back to perfect health. The one silver lining in those months, other than the gift of my son, was that Olivia stayed out of the hospital. The winters were always her worst time of year, but we skated by without even one admission. There weren't words for how relieved that had made both Bella and I.

The practice was doing well, thriving actually, which was good and a bad in turns. The growth of our practice was hard earned by Emmett and I, as well as our families. I was proud of how things had finally come together and the work we both put into making our shared dream become a reality. Satisfaction and pride in what we had built didn't mean I liked the hours it required to get there, though; that time was time away from my family and that wasn't something I enjoyed - in the slightest.

Between the hours I was putting in the practice and the increase in the number of surgeries I was doing meant that Bella was home with an infant and a pre-teen daughter alone - a lot. Thankfully, we had invested in an electronic medical records system, so the charting I would have normally had to spend even more time at the office completing could be done from home. Unfortunately, that also meant that although I was technically at home, I wasn't with my family. Bella understood. I knew she did, but it didn't mean she liked it any more than I did, which was why I found myself sitting in the study with a raging headache and a guilty conscience. The look in her eyes when I had walked through the family room where she and Olivia were watching a movie while Bella fed Tony could only be described as sad acceptance and that broke my heart.

I had to find a way to make some changes in my schedule. I sighed heavily, running a hand over my face, hard. I was just so damned tired and I knew that Bella was even more so and that made me feel like an ass because I didn't know how to fix any of it. It was incredibly frustrating.

A soft knock and Bella's sweet face peeking around the door brought my attention back to the moment.

"You got a minute?" she asked shyly. The taste of regret was a bitter pill and I grimaced at the feeling in the center of my chest knowing Bella felt she even had to ask.

"Yeah, baby," I said, my voice rough as I swallowed and waved her over, opening my arms in invitation. "Come here."

Bella pushed off the door where she had been waiting. I couldn't help but smile as I watched my beautiful wife cross the room. She complained that she hadn't dropped all the 'baby fat', as she called it, from carrying Tony, but I loved the way her body looked. I sure as shit wasn't complaining about the fact that her breasts were a little larger or that her hips were slightly fuller. I'm a man, what can I say? Truth is truth and I wasn't going to deny the way my body responded to hers, regardless of the changes.

"I love you," I murmured as Bella slid into my lap and her arm slipped around my shoulders. I wrapped an arm around her waist, pulling her closer to me as my free hand rested on her thigh, my thumb rubbing slow circles along the inside of her leg.

Bella smiled, leaning in to press her lips to mine in a slow sensual kiss. "I love you, too," she whispered against my lips. When she pulled back slightly and rested her forehead against mine, her eyes stayed closed.

"I'm sorry, Bella," I said on a strangled whisper. "I know it's been really hard on you lately. I'm going to make some changes-"

"Edward, stop," she cut me off, covering my lips with her finger and pulling back to look at me fully. "It's okay. Stop beating yourself up over something that can't be helped right now. We knew it would be difficult for the first year or so especially. So just stop. That's not what I wanted to talk to you about anyway."

I felt my brow drop even deeper into a scowl as I looked up into her eyes, trying to get a clue as to what it was she wanted to talk about if it wasn't my lack of attendance with the family recently.

Bella curved her hand under my jaw, her thumb slowly caressing my cheek and bottom lip. She looked nervous for some reason and that just made my concern for whatever she needed to talk about crank up by about a thousand. She took a deep breath, blowing it out slowly as she looked into my eyes. I was surprised to see the sheen of tears.

"Baby, what's wrong?" I asked, the concern clear in my tone. I reached up to cover her hand with mine and turned, pressing a kiss to the center of her palm.

Bella shook her head slowly, a tiny hesitant smile on her full lips. She cleared her throat softly before she began to speak.

"Do you remember a couple of months ago," she started, the fingers of her free hand playing absently with the hair at the nape of my neck, "when I told you about the flag dedication that the city does for veterans?"

I nodded, remembering that conversation vividly. Bella had approached me one morning just before I left for the office with a hesitant look, much like the one she wore at the moment. Bella had told me how the town we lived in honored a number of fallen veterans from all of the wars at each of the national holidays like Memorial Day and Veteran's Day.

It seemed that there was a committee who chose five veterans to honor with a flag dedication ceremony and the placement of a plaque displaying their name. The flags along with the plaque were displayed in the park in the center of the town square.

Bella had wanted to submit Mike's name in hopes of it being chosen. She said she had wanted to do it for a long time but had waited until Olivia was a little older in hopes that it would have more significance to her when she could understand the meaning behind the ceremony. I had encouraged her to fill out the form and send it in. Even if Mike's name wasn't chosen, the fact that Bella had tried would mean a lot to her and Olivia in years to come.

"I got the notification in the mail today," she whispered, her voice thick with the emotion she was trying to keep in check. "They uh… they chose Mike as one of the veteran's to be honored during the Memorial Day ceremony."

A single tear slipped from the corner of her eye as she struggled with her last words.

"Oh, baby, come here," I said, wrapping my arms around her and pulling her into a tight embrace. "It's okay. Let it go, Bella." I buried my hand in her thick hair, holding her head securely to my chest as she finally let go and the sobs racked her body. Pressing a kiss to her forehead, I blinked furiously and turned my face into her hair, fighting the burning in my own eyes as I held her while she cried.

Although Bella wanted the honor for Olivia as much as for Mike, the actuality of his name being chosen in many ways made losing him a fresh wound to her heart. That part of her which would always belong to Mike was ripped wide open and at that moment she was grieving for the loss of a much different life which had once been hers.

Her sobs had quieted to hiccupping gasps until finally she sat limply in my lap, her cheek resting against my chest. Her hands were still twisted in the fabric of my shirt; it was soaked through from her tears and probably ruined from her makeup. I really didn't care. I had others.

"I'm sorry," she croaked on a broken whisper.

"Oh sweetheart," I said, pressing my lips to the top of her head and stroking her hair lightly. "You never have to apologize for still loving him. I've told you, Bella. Mike is a part of you. He will always be a part of you and Olivia. There is nothing for you to ever feel badly about because of that."

Bella was silent for a long time as I continued to hold her, stroking over her hair and back gently.

"You're a good man, Edward Cullen," she whispered, turning her head and pressing a kiss directly over my heart before looking up to meet my eyes.

"Only because you love me, baby," I said and smiled when I gained a small giggle from Bella.

"You're so corny sometimes," she said, dropping her forehead to rest on my chest as she giggled again.

"But you love me all the same," I said, the chuckle rumbling in my chest.

"That I do," she said, raising her head and framing my face between her palms, leaning in to press her lips against mine. "That I do."

~O~

Memorial Day arrived and to say that Bella was a wreck would be a massive understatement. She had been running around like the proverbial chicken with its head cut off for the last half hour or so and I could see the meltdown barreling towards us like an out of control freight train, and I was just as helpless to stop it.

There are times when I really hate when I'm right. Like about ten minutes later when the derailment came just as I entered Tony's bedroom with a sandwich in hand. I cringed as I heard Bella's high pitched squeal of disgust and knew before I saw the evidence what had happened.

Bella had been changing Tony's clothes so we could leave for the ceremony. Unfortunately, he had just finished eating a short time before and since the poor little guy had been suffering from some pretty nasty reflux recently, as soon as Bella picked him up from the changing table, he threw up; not only on himself, but all over the front of her dress as well.

"Here!" Bella said, holding Tony's chubby little body out from her with stiff arms as she scowled in my direction. "Take your son. I have to go change. Again!"

To my credit, I didn't say a word, instead choosing wisely to silently lay my sandwich down quickly on top of the dresser and take the squirming, giggling mass which was my son from Bella's hands, and then got the hell out of her way.

"Well, little man, let's see about getting you cleaned up, huh," I said, looking into Tony's big round eyes as he gurgled and kicked his chubby little legs. "That was not nice to throw up all over Mommy like that."

I couldn't help but chuckle as Tony stuck a chubby fist in his mouth and gnawed on it as if he hadn't eaten in a week. I crossed to the bathroom which connected Tony and Olivia's rooms.

"Mommy's just a little stressed this morning," I said as I laid a towel out on the counter and started peeling off Tony's soiled clothes before using a warm wet cloth to clean him up. "She's not upset with you, really. Today's going to be really hard for her. So we've got to make sure to help her out and not do stuff like throwing up on her, deal?"

Tony stared at me with the wide eyed wonder of an infant and let out a wet burp in response.

"I'll take that as a 'yes'," I said, chuckling and picking him up in my arms, holding him to my chest and kissing his smooth forehead.

Fifteen minutes later, I ushered Olivia out the door and was straightening from buckling Tony in his car seat. Just as I closed the back door of Bella's SUV, I felt her arms wrap around my waist from behind and her forehead rest between my shoulder blades.

"I'm sorry," she whispered. I could tell from the way her breath hitched that she was barely holding on and I turned to wrap her in a tight embrace.

"It's okay, baby," I said, kissing the top of her head before tucking her under my chin.

Bella shook her head. "It's not. You've been so good about this and I'm just…" she trailed off and I heard the catch in her voice. I pulled back, placing both my hands on her face, forcing her to look at me. I bent to kiss the tip of her nose, causing her to giggle.

"Today's hard," I murmured, looking deeply into her eyes. "I know and it's okay that you're struggling to keep it together. I love you and I understand. End of story."

Bella stared at me for a long moment before shaking her head slowly. "God, I love you."

I smiled and just before I pressed my lips to hers, I whispered, "I can assure you, the feeling is completely mutual."

~O~

The men and women that served on the committee who chose the names of those who would be honored represented each of the wars from our countries history as well as every branch of the military. Seeing their faces standing proudly in their uniforms was unlike anything I had ever experienced. Considering that only five names were chosen and most often those were veterans from earlier wars who were honored, it made the significance of Mike's name being chosen all the more poignant.

I glanced around at the rows of chairs lining the green grass of the small park. The fact that the majority of the audience was comprised mostly of the adult children and grandchildren of the other honorees of the day was not lost on me. The other guests were obviously veterans themselves, some in uniform, while with others it was in their eyes as they listened to the speaker talk about the sacrifices of their fallen comrades. The expressions on their faces spoke volumes about their experiences and enduring the ceremony brought those to the forefront of their minds.

Then there were the faces which surrounded me on both sides. Rosalie and Emmett sat to my right just on the other side of the small aisle which ran between the rows of chairs. Rosalie held Tony as he slept peacefully in her arms. Mike's parents sat just beyond Bella to her left. The stoic pride on Mike, Sr.'s face was almost as heartbreaking as the quiet devastation on Carole's. Olivia sat silently between Bella and me, and it was truly the hardest thing I had ever done, watching her blink back tears as they finally began to call the names of those being honored.

The families made their way one by one to the flag poles located at the front of the area where we were all seated. The soldiers saluted the flag as it was run up the pole by yet another uniformed comrade. The surviving family members cleared throats and silently wiped tears as they watched their loved one's flag as it was set free to fly, serving as a reminder of the sacrifice of the fallen and their family. The one thing that was evident in each of their faces was the immense pride that showed through all of tears.

And then it was our turn. I stood and took a step back to allow Olivia and Bella access to the aisle, following behind as we made our way to the front.

Bella wrapped an arm around Olivia's thin shoulders and pulled her closer to her side. I felt my heart clench at the sight of Olivia's tiny body shaking with a sob. At the same time, a pride I didn't have words to describe filled my entire being as she kept her head high and wrapped her arm around her mother's waist.

I had to clear my throat as the tightness began to choke me when Mike's flag was set loose and I could hear Carole's quiet sobs as Mike, Sr. held her close. Bella looked over her shoulder at me, a tiny smile on her face as her eyes shined with unshed tears. It was in that moment I knew that this woman was the strongest person I had ever known. My love for her grew exponentially as she slipped her hand into mine, squeezing it tightly. It was yet another way in which she reminded me that although this day was for a man who had been another part of her life, she was in the moment with me. It was a reminder that while Mike still owned a piece of her heart, the remainder resided in my care. Mike would always be a part of our lives because of the past he shared with Bella. The fact that because of him Bella and I shared a beautiful daughter was not a responsibility or an honor that I took lightly.

Honoring the sacrifice Mike made in the line of duty while serving our country was the very least that I could do for him, as well as Bella. Beyond that day and bestowing that honor, my job would be the same one I had promised to fulfill when I slipped that small platinum band on Bella's hand and recited my vows. I would do everything in my power to ensure the wellbeing of the amazing woman who had been entrusted into my care. Bella and our children were the most important things in my life, and it was in that moment that I knew I would be making some changes to slow down, to take a bit more time to be the father, the husband, which they needed.

I looked up at the red, white, and blue waving gently in the breeze and said a silent prayer of thanks for all the joys which had been provided in my life. And one to the man who had paid the ultimate sacrifice to ensure the world was a safer place to live for the family he had left behind.

* * *

Hope you all enjoyed the little look into the continuing lives of our couple.

Until next time...

xoxoxoxoxo

bellasunderstudy1


End file.
